Flying Mavs Earn Top 10 Finish Nationally

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Flying Mavericks earned the highest team finish in program history this weekend as they placed eighth at the 2018 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) SAFECON competition, which took place Monday, April 30, through Saturday, May 5, at Indiana State Univeristy.

The eighth-place finish by the Flying Mavs puts them in a class above institutions like Oklahoma State University, Auburn University, Purdue University and the United States Air Force Academy.

The NIFA SAFECON is held annually, pitting the top collegiate aviation programs in the country against each other in a series of compeitions testing their skills in the air and on the ground. The Flying Mavs earned the right to compete nationally after placing second in their region last October.

At the 2018 NIFA SAFECON, UNO placed eighth both in the SAFECON Championship and in a vote by the judges. The finish included a fifth place finish in the "Flight Events" category and ninth in the "Ground Events" category.

UNO coach Ryan Guthridge also earned first place as 2018 "Coach of the Year" at the competition.

Among the students, UNO earned 12 Top-20 finishes among all categories. Additionally, two students earning top-10 finishes among the entire field of their peers, with Philip Wier earning second in the "Men's Achievement Award" category and Tate Beller being selected sixth in the "Regional Top Pilot" category.

A full list of overall results can be found at the NIFA website.